Chinese Eggplant Stir Fry

Quick, easy, and delicious—this Chinese eggplant stir fry makes a healthy dinner in 15 minutes. Vegan-friendly and perfect for busy nights!

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: asian, Chinese

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Fat, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Servings:

Calories: 395kcal

Author: Lei

Boil the eggplant: Boil the eggplant strips in water until soft.Drain the water and gently press the eggplant with a spatula to remove excess water.
Cook the bell pepper and garlic: Set the heat to medium and add oil and bell pepper to a non-stick pan, cooking until softened.Add garlic and continue cooking until lightly golden.
Add eggplant strips and sauce: Add the eggplant strips and the sauce, stirring to combine everything. Cover with a lid and cook over low to medium heat for approximately 2 minutes.Remove the lid, continue cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens and starts to sizzle. If it becomes dry, add a bit of oil. Then, serve.

Eggplant: You can use any type of eggplant, but some varieties might need slightly different cooking times.
Bell Pepper: If you’re up for a bit of heat, fresh chili peppers are an option.
Oyster Sauce: Oyster sauce gives this dish a yummy seafood taste. To make it vegan, you can simply swap it with the same amount of soy sauce.
Soy Sauce: This recipe uses regular soy sauce for saltiness and dark soy sauce for a richer color. If you don’t have dark soy sauce, you can substitute it by using just half the amount of regular soy sauce instead.
Corn Starch: We use cornstarch to make the sauce thicker, but be careful not to add too much. Too much cornstarch can make the sauce like jelly.
Like many homemade dishes, feel free to adjust the amount of bell pepper or eggplant to your preference. Just make sure to get the saltiness right.
In the first step, be sure to squeeze out the water from the eggplant. Otherwise, the eggplant acts like a sponge, absorbing too much water and not enough sauce. Alternatively, you can use the steam method to cook the eggplant.
In the second step, when cooking the bell pepper, avoid stirring excessively. Ensure the bell pepper is slightly browned.
You can serve it as a main dish alongside rice, or mix it with noodles or pasta.